SCampillo
Choosing the right juicer that fits your lifestyle can be overwhelming as not all juicers are created equal. This ultimate juicer buying guide for optimal nutrition will help you alleviate the stress and remove the guesswork so you can be on your way to buying the juicer that works best for you.
The more you learn what living a healthier lifestyle truly entails, the more you become inclined to make positive, healthy changes in your life that will dramatically improve your overall health and wellness.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article may be affiliate links, which can provide compensation to me at no cost to you if you decide to make a purchase. These are products I’ve personally used or would use myself and stand behind. You can read disclaimer here.
A part of these changes begins in your kitchen.
For starters, it includes removing old kitchen appliances and making room for new ones. Because juicing is one of the most common ways to begin detoxing and nourishing your body, buying the right juicer is an important part of your progress.
Centrifugal Juicers (with a blade – fast)
Centrifugal juicers are a type of juicer that operates by using high-speed spinning blades to chop up fruits and vegetables and extract their juice.
These juicers are known for their speed and efficiency, making them a popular choice for busy individuals who want to make juice quickly and easily.
Centrifugal juicers work by feeding fruits and vegetables into a feed chute, where the blades chop and shred the produce into a pulp.
The pulp is then pushed through a fine mesh screen, which separates the juice from the solids.
The shredded pulp goes into a basket, while the juice goes into a separate juice container.
One of the main benefits of centrifugal juicers is their speed. They are able to produce juice quickly, making them ideal for those who don’t have a lot of time to spend in the kitchen.
They are also generally less expensive than masticating juicers, making them a more accessible option for those on a budget.
Quality of Juice
There are some downsides to using a centrifugal juicer. The high-speed blades generate heat, which can cause the juice to become oxidized and lose nutritional value.
Centrifugal juicers also tend to produce more foam and are less efficient at extracting juice from leafy greens and other fibrous produce.
Overall, centrifugal juicers are a convenient and affordable option for those who want to make juice quickly and easily.
While they may not produce juice that is as high in nutrients as masticating juicers, they are still a good choice for those who want to incorporate more fresh fruits and vegetables into their diet.
Pros
- It juices fast so they are ideal for busy people
- Space-saving smaller models
- Do not require the pre-cutting of produce so they save time on prep work
Cons
- The blade on these juicers produces a great amount of heat, in turn reducing the nutritional value of the juice. This defeats the purpose of juicing.
- Not the best choice for juicing leafy greens as they will extract less juice than masticating juicers
- Lower juice yield
- Can be challenging to clean depending on the model
- Oxidization
- Very noisy models
- Cannot juice wheat grass
Masticating Juicers (cold-pressed – slow juicer)
Masticating juicers, also known as slow juicers or cold press juicers, do not shred produce with blades.
Instead, they are a type of slow juicer that operates by slowly crushing and squeezing fruits and vegetables to extract their juice using a slow rotating auger to crush produce against a stainless steel mesh screen at a much slower speed.
Unlike centrifugal juicers, which use high-speed blades to chop up produce and extract juice quickly, masticating juicers use a slower, more deliberate process that preserves more of the nutrients and enzymes in the juice.
With a slow, cold press juicer, you get a higher-yielding juice.
Quality of Juice
Masticating juicers are known for producing high-quality juice that is rich in flavor and nutrients.
Because they operate at lower speeds and use less heat than centrifugal juicers, masticating juicers produce juice that is less oxidized and less likely to foam or separate.
Image credit: Kuvings.com
This means that the juice retains more of its original flavor, color, and nutritional value.
Masticating juicers are also versatile and can be used to make a wide variety of juices, including green juices, nut milk, and even baby food.
They are typically more expensive than centrifugal juicers, but their high-quality juice and durability make them a worthwhile investment for serious juicing enthusiasts and a valuable addition to your kitchen.
Pros
- Ideal for leafy greens and can juice wheatgrass
- High juice yield
- No oxidation
- Many models can also make nut butter and even sorbet
- Some models are easier to clean than others
Cons
- More prep work due to a smaller feed chute
- More costly than centrifugal models
- Takes more time to extract juice as they are slower than centrifugal juicers
- Some are larger in size but can also be found in upright smaller versions
6 Best Cold Press Juicers
Cold press juicers are among the best juicers for yielding more nutrients in each fresh juice made. Below are some of the best cold press juice extractor options for optimal nutrition.
Breville Juice Fountain Cold Plus – Best Centrifugal Juicer
The Breville Juice Fountain Cold Plus is a high-end cold press juicer that allows you to make fresh, healthy vegetable juices from a wide variety of fruits and vegetables.
It is designed with an extra-large feed chute that can accommodate whole fruits and leafy green vegetables while reducing chopping and prep time.
One of the key features of the Breville Juice Fountain Cold Plus is its cold spin technology, which helps to minimize damage to the nutrients in the juice by reducing heat and friction.
Ultimately, resulting in a healthier, more nutrient-dense juice with a longer shelf life.
Omega 8006 HDC – Best Masticating Juicer (Affordable)
The Omega 8006 HDS is a versatile and durable cold press juicer that uses a low-speed extraction process to produce high-quality juice with minimal oxidation and maximum nutrient retention.
It features a dual-stage juicing system that yields cold-pressed juice from both hard and soft fruits and veggies, as well as leafy greens and wheatgrass. It uses a strainer and a separate container for collecting the juice.
The juicer also doubles as a food processor, allowing you to make nut butter, nut milk, baby food, pasta, and more. Its slow juicing speed of 80 RPM helps to prevent heat buildup and clogging.
A major plus is that this juicer is easy to assemble and clean.
The Omega is an excellent juicer and among the best for affordability and value. I own one myself and have had it for 7 years now. I highly recommend it if you’re just starting out.
Hurom H200 – Best Overall Juicer
The Hurom H200 cold press juicing machine is the latest model offering less prep and less cleaning time. This saves a whole lot of time if you want to make juicing more of a habit.
It’s also a great space saver if you have limited counter space.
This masticating juicer has one of the biggest hoppers among other slow juicers on the market making cleaning super easy.
The larger-sized self-feeding hopper also allows you to fit whole-sized fruit and add more veggies even while the juicer is still running.
Plus, the filters are scrub-free which means no more scrubbing them down.
Kuvings EVO820 – Best Premium Juicer
The Kuvings EVO820 slow juicer is highly rated with good reason. It provides a wide 3.2-inch chute with a 2-way flip gate for pushing your fruits and vegetables through easily to help minimize prep time.
The key to saving time is all in the amount of prepping needed. So, the less you have to prep your veggies, the more time you’re going to save.
This cold press juicer is not only great for making green juices, it is also a perfect juicer for creating smoothies and nut milks just the same.
Omega MM900HDS – Best Celery Juicer
The Omega MM900 is among the best celery juice extractors for yielding the most juice out of your celery stalks. And, you don’t even have to cut them up. Simply stick the stalks in, one at a time.
It comes with an adjustable end cap dial made specifically for juicing celery to give you more juice than most juicers. It also includes a separate adjustable end cap for juicing all other fruits and vegetables. Including soft fruits.
This versatile machine also has the capability to function as a citrus juicer, make nut butters, nut milk, pasta, grind coffee, spices, herbs, and wheat grass juice.
PURE Juicer – Best Hydraulic Juice Press
This high-quality juicer is Gerson Therapy approved and comes highly recommended. Unlike the other juicers, the PURE Juicer is a hydraulic triturating juicer.
It uses trituration to reduce the pulp into smaller particles that allow for more juice and nutrient-rich results.
This type of juicer consists of two stages and is made for easy cleaning. It also comes with time-saving features, it’s easy to use, and is designed for optimal nutrition and nutrient absorption.
Best of all, it comes with a 12-year warranty. Plus, its beautiful design will look great on your kitchen counter too!
It’s definitely among the very best if you’re able to make the investment.
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Juicer Shopping Considerations
Good, lasting juicers do not come cheap.
When you consider your purchase, here are some questions you might want to ask:
Is juicing just going to be a luxury in your life, or is it going to be an essential part of your new lifestyle?
How often will you be juicing?
Are you going to juice every day, every month, every 6 months?
What is more important to you? A juicer that yields the most health benefits or can get the job done faster.
If you intend on juicing on a daily basis, it would be smart to invest in a high-quality juicer that will last longer.
If you’re only going to be juicing on occasion, then consider starting off with a less expensive model that will do the job.
The Omega 8006 is a good starter machine.
If buying the best juicer for your health is most important, then a masticating juicer is your best investment.
If you care more about time and speed, then high-speed juice extractors like centrifugal juicers work best for your needs.
If it’s only you, and you don’t see yourself juicing as often, don’t spend so much money on a juicer. Opt for one that is more middle-of-the-road but still a good quality juice extractor.
Easy to Clean
This may be one of your most important considerations if you live a busy life. Spending 15-20 minutes chopping and prepping ingredients and another 10-15 minutes cleaning will most likely not be ideal.
So choosing a juice extractor that is easy to clean like many masticating juicers, will be your best bet.
Not all, but most. Specifically the horizontal machines.
Most centrifugal juicers are harder to clean because of the blade parts and all the other components that come with them – Something to keep in mind before making your purchase.
Size and Storage
Another important factor to consider when looking for the right juicer is size and storage.
Points to Consider:
Space: The larger the juicer, the more space it will require.
Make sure you have enough counter space for your new machine. If you have a small kitchen, a large juice extractor may not be ideal. Consider a smaller or more compact type.
Ease of storage: Whether you’re storing your machine on the countertop or inside a cabinet, you want to consider the number of parts it comes with. Some come with more parts than others so make sure you have room to store them for easy access.
If you can’t access your juicer or its parts as easily, chances are, you’ll rarely make time for using it.
By taking these points into consideration, you shouldn’t have a problem finding the best juicer to fit your needs.
Why Slow Juicers Are the Best
The whole point of juicing is to fuel the body with the maximum amount of nutrients possible. The juice quality is by far greater than that which comes from centrifugal juice extractors.
Imagine shooting an IV straight into the bloodstream loaded with nutrients, vitamins, and minerals.
That’s pretty much what juicing is, which is why investing in a premium juicer such as a slow juicer is highly beneficial.
Slow juicers extract the most juice leaving you with nothing but dry pulp and a higher juice yield. They also have the ability to process leafy greens, herbs, fruit, and wheat grass while keeping enzymes and nutrients intact.
With a slow juicer, you can also make nut butters and nut milks, whereas, with a centrifugal juice extractor, you cannot.
The bottom line is, slow juice extractors are more versatile and provide greater nutritional value than high-speed centrifugal juice extractors.
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My Personal Opinion
As a certified holistic nutrition and natural health practitioner who has been juicing for the past 10 years, I will say that using a cold-press juicer is a nutritional game changer.
Both for optimal juice yield and nutrition.
Prepping requires a little bit more time with these types of juicers because you have to cut some fruits and vegetables a bit smaller than you would with a centrifugal juicer.
It also depends on the type of juicer you select as some have larger feeding chutes than others.
As far as cleaning goes, using a cold-pressed horizontal juicer will save you a lot more time.
Coming from an upright juicer which was supposedly easier to clean, then switching to an Omega, I found that with my Omega juicer, the cleaning is actually much easier and faster to achieve.
I consider Omega among the best juicers on the market, nothing fancy or top of the line but nothing cheap either. They are more so middle-of-the-road.
I’ve had my juicer for 7 years now and it still functions at its best with amazing juicing performance.
This is one I would highly recommend for cost and efficiency.
FAQs – Frequently Asked Questions
How many watts should a good juicer have?
Most juicers typically range between 400 to 1000 watts but the higher the watts the more powerful the machine will be. Ideally, you want to shoot for 700 and up with enough power to juice efficiently and power through the toughest of rinds.
How long does cold-pressed juice last?
Cold-pressed juices are best consumed immediately when fresh for high-quality, nutrient-rich juice and optimal nutrition. However, they can be stored for up to 3 days when kept in an airtight glass container like a mason jar.
Storage longer than 3 days greatly reduces the juice’s nutritional value and creates acid and bacteria build.
Juice from a centrifugal juicer only lasts for up to 24 hours versus 3 days.
Don’t want to make your own juice?
For an alternative option to juicing on your own, you can opt for juices that are already made and ready to drink.
Raw Generation uses organic fresh, whole fruits and vegetables and provide juices and cleanses to help you achieve your nutritional goals. At least until you are ready to buy your own juicer.
Sandra Campillo
Sandra Campillo is an eco, vegan lifestyle and travel blogger and entrepreneur. Join Sandra and her community of readers on SandraCampillo.com to learn how to live a healthier, more sustainable, and compassionate way of life while creating a passive income lifestyle.
